Conference Centres of Excellence hosted a lunch for Editors recently at the award winning member venue The Manor House, Godalming.
General Managers from Conference Centres of Excellence member venues met with industry editors to have a ‘round-table’ symposium about specialist venues and the future for conference and training business.
In particular, discussions arose over demands by companies to change the way people learn, and how training venues are adapting to meet the needs of customers. Mark Jones, Managing Director of Wyboston Lakes outlined how significant investment in technology has opened up options for hybrid events, although the face-to-face element still remains paramount.
But despite all the hype around new technology and blended learning ultimately the group agreed that ‘Successful meetings make money’. People who are working away from the office find it beneficial to meet face to face, and in fact meetings are not a drain on resources but quite the opposite. With more and more people working from home, meetings offer a great opportunity to get teams together for practical communication and teambuilding.
The future for specialist venues – Corporate Centres of Leadership Excellence
Venues are big assets to have standing idle and it is no surprise that venues are looking to cover fixed overheads by taking weekend business and non-core business during quieter times. But the message is that they have become skilled at managing both to achieve successful outcomes whoever the customer might be.
Debate amongst the group developed relating to whether conference centres are likely to become dedicated learning environments by offering a full service, including providing the trainers, content and fully accredited courses?
Both Wyboston Lakes and Missenden Abbey believe this works extremely well and are independently working this into their business model.
Eva Neupauer-Jones, General Manager of Missenden Abbey commented “Adult learners don’t want to be in a student environment. Dedicated venues suit adult needs, providing exceptional facilities and standards of learning.”
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| Eva Neupauer-Jones and Paul Colston |
The academy partnerships also open conversations with decision makers for other training and business events, and provide opportunities across other avenues of the business.
Tailored customisation and raising industry standards
Examining the challenges of maintaining high quality standards, along with rate demands, Mark Jones reflected “Venues who maintain relationships with their customers will know what they want, and will be able to raise standards in accordance. Let’s call it ‘Tailored customisation’ - providing the wow factor and getting inside the customers head. It’s a combination of using industry best practice, whilst also offering a little something extra.”
There was a word of caution however: “Demands of business customers are growing all the time,” said Mark “but we must be careful not to de-value what we offer by reducing rates just to secure business – this is a difficult balance at present.”
There was also a view that sometimes it is better to lose a customer to a competitor for a rate that is un-sustainable in the long term, as the chances are that the customer experience will not live up to expectations and the client will return to reap the benefits of quality standards.
Specialist staff and the customer experience
When discussing what makes the customer experience rate above the industry average at Conference Centres of Excellence venues, it became clear that professional and dedicated staff are crucial.
“Empowering staff to allow flexibility and decision making, makes successful events” stated Eva Neupauer-Jones “The ability of the team to adapt during events or for different customer requirements is vital, and this is where specialist staff and quality venues come together to form a productive environment.”
An influx of new venues
Ben Aylward, Managing Director of Myvenues.co.uk raised the issue of new, diverse venues opening every day, including airports, arenas, theatres and asked how established venues can overcome this?
“It’s an unavoidable situation that we cannot, nor should we try to, overcome, but the reality is that not all venues will be successful” responded Anthony Lishman, Executive Director of Conference Centres of Excellence. “It is incredibly hard to run a successful quality venue and some new businesses will fail. However, as business and the economy improves, empty spaces will be reclaimed for day to day business use and the balance will return.”
Displaying an excellent example of established, award winning venues, The Manor House provided an ideal setting for the event, offering editors an opportunity to experience the consistently high standards provided at Conference Centres of Excellence venues.
Ben Aylward of Myvenues.co.uk remarked on the welcoming atmosphere and professional approach and summarised that as a successful event venue the Manor House has “everything is in its place and as you expect it”.
For more information please contact PR@cceonline.co.uk
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